Hey—Where’s the Hay?

by Scott Burnworth
Livermore, Colorado

It was Thursday morning March 19, 2020.  A major storm was predicted for Livermore with near blizzard intensity—and the horses knew it.  The Kubota was loaded with 8 bales of the good stuff, and I had just pulled up to their pasture feeders to throw it in and let the feasting begin.  

But first, I wanted to take some clicks with the camera.  The horses were not amused. Pete let his feelings be known quite clearly.  I am certain his thoughts went something very much like this:  

“Wait a minute there Cowboy!  It’s been raining all morning; the temperature’s dropping like a bareback rider at his first rodeo; the wind is starting to kick up; it’s beginning to snow; we’re supposed to get 6 to 8 inches in the driving wind; and you want to take pictures!!  GIVE ME A BREAK! You could’ve been out here hours ago, but nooooo—you were waiting for a photo op with pretty little snowflakes! You were just sitting in your warm toasty house waiting for things to get worse. Now get with it and throw that hay right now—or there will be big consequences!  BTW: You’re no Ansel Adams, and your pictures aren’t that good anyway!”  

Me: “Ouch—I guess everyone really is a critic!!!”